The Creation Of The Kingdom Of Italy 1856-1861

Question 1

When was the national society founded and by who

Answer 1

1857, by a group of exiles living in piedmont such as Daniele Manin.

Question 2

What was the focus of the national society

Answer 2

It was a series of single-issue nationalist campaigns, this was to promote the cause of Italian National Unity within piedmont.

And to encourage Nationalists throughout the Italian peninsula to accept Piedmontese leadership.

Question 3

What were the ‘modern’ methods which the National Society used to persuade

Answer 3

the newspaper ‘IL Piccolo Corriere d’Italia’

Posters, Flyers, Pamphlets (batches up to 3,000) and meetings

This strayed away from the Mazzinian style of violent methods to promoting the National Italian Cause.

Question 4

What is the link between Cavour and the national society

Answer 4

The national society provided a template for a style of nationalism which suited his aims and temperament, conservative and pragmatic.

However Cavour support for the idea of the nation in the late 1850s was limited to the north of Italy which was far more economically powerful and free of Austrian dominance.

Question 5

What was the relationship with Napoleon III

Answer 5

napoleon growing up in Florence had a soft spot for the romantic Italian unification.

He wanted to ensure the expansion of France especially expanding into Nice and Savoy in return help to expel the Austrians from Norther Italy.

Helping piedmont assert itself in northern Italy, France would create a client state that would allow greater influence in the region.

Napoleon was always wary of Catholic opinion in France and in 1849 sent troops to Rome to help crush the Mazzinian inspired rising. Wanted a federation with the pope at its head rather than centralised Italian state.

Question 6

When and what was the Orsini Affair

Answer 6

14th January 4 Italians led by Count Felipe Orsini attempted to assassinate Napoleon at the Opera, 2 of the conspirators were Mazzinians.

The rationale was with Napoleon gone this would lead to the restoration of the Republic in France that would be well disposed to the creation of an Italian republic.

Orsini’s Bomb failed to kill napoleon, killed 7 on lookers and injured 150 others

At his trial he appealed to napoleon for his support in the unification of Italy.

Question 7

What impact did the Orsini affair have on Napoleon

Answer 7

Supposedly these worlds created a spark in Napoleon’s conscience that triggered him into actions that led to the arrangement of a meeting in Plombieres on 20 July 1858

‘The blessing of 25 Million citizens would follow him to posterity’ - Orsini

Napoleon met with Cavour to stop any more attempts to assassinate him.

Question 8

What was the agreement made at Plombéres

Answer 8

A Secret meeting at Plombéres that France would join Piedmont in war against Austria if war could be provoked in a way acceptable to opinion in the 2 countries.

Using military force to drive Austria out of italy

Question 9

What other terms were made at Plombéres

Answer 9

Kingdom of upper Italy ruled by House of Savoy: piedmont, Lombardy and Venetia with Parma, Modena and papal Legations

Kingdom of central italy controlled by Tuscany with Umbria and papal marches

Rome and surrounding area kept by the pope

Naples and kingdom of 2 Sicilies would not be touched for now

200,000 French troops to help Piedmont for Nice and Savoy transferred to France.

Question 10

What other action strengthened the relationship between France and Piedmont

Answer 10

Louis Napoleon’s Nephew Prince Jerome was marrying Victor Emmanuel’s daughter Princess Clotilde

Question 11

What was the problem with handing over nice and savoy to France

Answer 11

Italian Unification Hero Giuseppe Garibaldi was born in Nice.

Question 12

What were the preparations made for war in 1850s

Answer 12

How to provoke war with Austria so French ambitions were not obvious. Make Austria the. Aggressor

12th December 1859 opening of parliament VEII delivered a deliberately provocative speech.

January marriage of Jerome and Clotilde and announcement of alliance between France and Piedmont.

Question 13

What promise could Cavour not deliver after Plombéres

Answer 13

An army of 100,000. National society helped to recruit 20,000 volunteers however they were untrained and no match for the powerful Austrian army.

In the end Piedmont had around 60,000 troops.

Question 14

How did war break out in 1859

Answer 14

In March 1859 Russia Called a emergency European congress to mediate tensions between France and Austria

Later on in March 1859 Piedmont mobilised their troops on the Lombardy border.
Austrians placed theirs on the border in April.

23rd April Austrian Foreign minister gives 3 days to demobilised troops on the border
29th April Austria invades and war is on.

Question 15

Besides war in Lombardy where else was there calls for unification

Answer 15

April 1859 Florence had a popular demonstration with Ricasoli heading it, he demanded a union between Florence and Piedmont

May1859, national society engineers peaceful revolutions in Tuscany, Modena and Parma and the rulers of all 3 fled leaving provisional governments in control.

June 1859, Duke of Modena and Duchess of Parma fled their provinces leaving provisional governments

Papal legations had uprisings as well and calls for union with Piedmont.

Question 16

What was the treaty of Villafranca

Answer 16

8th July 1859 Napoleon III sued for peace behind Cavour and VEII’s back.

Austria greed that Lombardy should be given to France who would then give it to Peidmont though Venetia would stay in Austrian hands

Italian confederation would be established with the pope as the leaders.

Question 17

What was the treat of Turin

Answer 17

21 January 1860 the treaty of Turin was the agreement of terms to annex Lombardy, the central duchies and the papal legations mainly through Plebicites (Popular vote).

Question 18

What was Garibaldi’s reaction to the loss of Nice

Answer 18

He organised a force to prevent its annexation. The group was known as ‘the thousand’ who met near the port of Genoa.

The group increased in numbers, news broke in April 1860 an insurrection on the island of Sicily and though only 10% of his army was Sicilian, he was persuaded by 2/3 of his most trusted followers, Francesco Crispi and Rosalind Pilo to sail south.

On 12th April Pilo sailed on ahead to rally the sicialin revolutionaries and inform them that help was close at hand.

Question 19

What did Garibaldi say he was going to liberate Italy in name of

Answer 19

In the name of Italy and Victor Emmanuel.

Question 20

Why did Cavour not stop Garibaldi

Answer 20

He did not want to oppose garibaldi and make his government back home un-popular offending members of the national society who helped very much in annexing the central duchies.

Victor Emmanuel was in support of Garibaldi’s escapade

Elections were due to be held on may 6th and 10th and making enemies with the electorate.

Question 21

What was the conflict between Cavour and Garibaldi

Answer 21

Both introduced to each other in 1856 and another meeting took place on 1858 and Cavour informed Garibaldi in general terms to provoke a war with Austria.

They both wanted different things, Cavour wanted to expel Austria from northern Italy, and hated the idealism and populism of Garibaldi.

Garibaldi disliked Cavour’a intellectual prowess and perceived it as a sense of self-importance.

Question 22

What was the relationship between garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel

Answer 22

A lot better than garibaldis and Cavours.

Garibaldi’s methods were much quicker and was direct action rather than the slower more methodical methods of diplomacy.

However both VEII and Cavour mistrusted Garibaldi’s personality as after the events in the south of 1860 Garibaldi was treated as a ‘Demi-god’.

Question 23

When did the thousand land in Sicily

Answer 23

11 may 1860. Very luck as the Bourbon navy had sailed southwards the previous night.

Question 24

What success did garibaldi see in Sicily

Answer 24

The thousand saw massive amounts of volunteers joining.

26th may they infiltrated Palermo at night and then endured 3 brutal days of street fighting before seizing the capital. It was an astonishing victory against a 20,000 strong Austrian army.

Somewhat due to the death of Ferdinand II in 1859 and the succession of his son Francesco.

Armistice was signed on 2 June and the island of Sicily was conquered by the end of July.

Question 25

What reforms were made in Sicily

Answer 25

Francesco Crispi was appointed Secretary of State, he abolition unpopular tax on milling.

Removed the feudal social structures titles like Eccellenza (your Excellency). Common land divided up, modernisation which included public works, investment in education and confiscation of church property.

Question 26

How did the British help Garibaldi’s quest to unify italy

Answer 26

The Royal Navy helped and protected the thousands crossing the straits of Messina from Sicily to main land.

Question 27

How was Cavour trying to stop Garibaldi from taking the unification out of hand.

Answer 27

He knew Garibaldi was going for Naples and his ultimate target was Rome which would have been catastrophic as the thousand would surely lose to the French.

He ordered Admiral Persians of the Piedmontese navy to sail to Naples and organise a Pro-Piedmont insurrection before Garibaldi arrived however he failed to do so.

Francesco ruler of Naples failed to convince his subjects that his political conversion was authentic after re-instating the 1848 constitution.

Cavour worked behind the scenes for an alliance with the bourbons against Garibaldi, sent messages to Francesco attempting to provoke an uprising against the bourbons that would justify Piedmontese intervention.

Question 28

Explain Garibaldi’s invasion of Naples

Answer 28

August 1860 Garibaldi Invades the Italian mainland in the name of ‘Victor Emmanuel and Italy’ however it was not the Italy envisaged by the far more conservative Cavour who only wanted the more economically developed north.

18th August garibaldi and a force of 3,500 crossed the sea and landed successfully on the mainland.

Bourbon forces were in disarray and fell back to the point north of Naples. The last bourbon king of Naples Francesco II fled his capital 6th September.

Garibaldi entered on the 7th September 1860 taking a train from Salerno. He was met by wildly enthusiastic crowd, the Capital had been taken without a shot being fired.

Question 29

What was Garibaldi’s ultimate goal

Answer 29

To take Rome not Naples, Cavour knew this and after 1849 with the famous ‘Roma o morte’ (Rome or death)

Garibaldi had forces of 20,000 strong and possible more but also a force 9,000 led by Bertrand (supporter of Mazzini) had amassed on the border of the Papal States. They had the aim of entering Rome in November and before winter had set in.

Cavour had to invade the Papal States in order to forestall any further action on Garibaldi’s behalf. This would upset the pope and the french and on 11th September Piedmontese army invaded, the french Governemnt broke off diplomatic relations with piedmont but to little avail.

18th September the Piedmontese forces crushed the papal army at Castelfidardo.

Question 30

Explain the italian state

Answer 30

Symbolically Evictor Emmanuel was the ‘second’ rather than ‘the first’ king of italy

constitutional monarchy, sovereign body of the state would be the king in parliament

Chamber of deputies of parliament was elected by 2% of the population

Piedmontese taxes, weights and measures and most important the idea of free trade were imposed on the rest of italy.